Type Of Business:
1) Biofuel manufacturer 2) University
Marketing Area:
1) International 2) Regional
Expertise:
Plant biotechnology; Molecular biology; Organizational management; Scientific patents; Regulatory affairs for plants; Transgenic plants
Major Product/SVS:
1) Enzymes for biomass conversion 2) Higher education
Favorite Business Publication:
Science; Plant Biotechnology Journal
Hobbies/Sports:
Spending time with her grandson; Reading; Running: Practicing yoga; Remodeling homes
Education Degrees:
Ph.D. in Plant Biology, Washington University in St. Louis; Master of Science in Plant Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater; Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, University of Oklahoma, Stillwater
Affiliations Awards:
Member, American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) (1977-Present); Advisory Board Member, Plant Biotechnology Journal (2002-Present); Editorial Board Member, Transgenic Research (2003-Present); Executive Committee Member, Specialty Crops Regulatory Assistance (SCRA) (2004-Present); Board of Trustees Member, ASPB (2002-2005); Executive Committee, ASPB (2002, 2005); Board of Trustees Chair, ASPB (2004-2005); Candidate for President, ASPB (2002); Women in Plant Biology Committee Chair, ASPB (2001-2002); Member, Society for In Vitro Biology; Member, American Association for the Advancement of Science; Member, International Society for Plant Molecular Biology
Industry:
Higher Education
State/Country of Origin:
OK/USA
Children's Names:
Nathan, Kyle
Date of Distinction:
1/24/2012
Work History:
Chief Executive Officer, Infinite Enzymes, LLC, Jonesboro, AR (2006-Present); Lipscomb Distinguished Professor of Agriculture, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR (2008-Present); Chief Executive Officer, Infinite-Eversole Strategic Crop Services, LLC, Jonesboro, AR (2009-Present); Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Technology Transfer, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro (2004-2008); Program Director, Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, Signal Transduction/Cellular Regulation Program, National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA (2003-2004); Consultant, Industrial Proteins, ProdiGene, Inc., College Station, TX (2003-2004); Principal Investigator, Small Business Innovation Research Grants (SBIR), Industrial Proteins, ProdiGene, Inc., College Station, TX (2003); Vice President, Industrial Proteins Business Unit, ProdiGene, Inc., College Station, TX (2002); Vice President, Technology, ProdiGene, Inc., College Station, TX (1999-2002); Director, Cell Biology, ProdiGene, Inc., College Station, TX (1997-1999); Research Manager, Cell Biology, Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Johnston, IA (1994-1996); Assistant Professor of Biology, Utah State University, Logan (1988-1994); Visiting Researcher, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden (1988); Postdoctoral Research Associate, Ph.D. Student, Washington University in St. Louis (1981-1988)
Career Achievements:
Manager, First Products from Transgenic Plants to the Market; Chief Research Officer, Arkansas State University; Chief Executive Officer, Two New Startup Companies in Industrial Enzymes from Plants and Regulatory Affairs; Author or Co-Author of 54 Articles in Peer-Reviewed Journals; Author or Co-Author of 19 Book Chapters; Holder of 14 Patents; Invited Keynote Speaker at Four International Conferences and One National Conference; Invited Speaker at 16 International and 32 National Conferences; Author or Co-Author of 32 Scientific Abstracts
What do you feel separates you from the rest of the professionals in your industry?:
She is separated from her peers by her incredible intelligence, organization, drive and ability to get things done. She is also very outspoken.
How would you like to be remembered by your peers?:
She would like to be remembered for her achievements, especially the invention of plant-based bioproduction for renewable resources.
If you could solve one problem in the world today, what would it be?:
It would be the pollution of our natural resources, water, land and air.
If you could have lunch with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?:
She would dine with Barbara McClintock, who was possibly the most intuitive geneticist ever. She would love to listen to her discuss her experiments and thought processes.
Throughout the duration of your career, what was the one highlight that stood out the most?:
The highlights of her career include starting Infinite Enzymes and making its first sale. She is proud of her achievements in managing biotechnology plant products.
Charity:
Public Radio; Habitat for Humanity International; Goodwill Industries International
Number Of Years In Profession:
35
Number Of Years In Current Position:
7
What Does He/She Attribute Success To:
She attributes her success to her dedication and determination. She also cites her record of making decisions based on relevant data.
Why did you become involved in your profession or industry?:
She became involved in her profession because she was always interested in renewable resources and has always wanted to make an impact in efforts to move humanity away from its dependence on oil, gas and other nonrenewable resources.
Extended Bio Profile:
Dr. Hood has 35 years of experience in biology. She formed one of the world’s foremost transgenic plant research groups at ProdiGene, a plant biotechnology startup company, and served as the director of the cell biology group for plant production of therapeutic proteins at Pioneer Hi-Bred International, a Fortune 500 Company. She is internationally recognized for her research program and associated expertise, as is evidenced by the more than 75 publications and patents that her name is attached to, as well as the numerous invitations she has received to speak nationally and internationally. She currently runs Infinite Enzymes alongside her husband and son.
Position Responsibilities and Duties:
1) Raising funds for improving and further operations; Developing new products; Building partnerships with other organizations and commercial enterprises; Writing grant applications 2) Teaching students about and researching plant biotechnology; Training graduate students
Awards/Honors:
Women to Watch Award, Business & Professional Women, Brazos County, TX (2000); Fellow, American Society of Plant Biologists; Sigma Xi; Phi Kappa Phi